Would you contribute €2 per week to solve homelessness?

gozunda · 16-11-2017 12:45PM

djPSB wrote: »

Hypothetical situation.

Supposing the solution to the homelessness crisis was that every citizen in the country would contribute €2 per week. So hypothetically everyone would have to contribute, those on social welfare, students, low earners, high earners etc. Everyone.

And say, again hypothetically, the money was guaranteed to solve homelessness in Ireland, would you be happy to pay €2 per week?

Don't want to get into the 'Government would just waste the money debate'. Let's just assume for once the money was used resourcefully and solved the problem.

So essentially, your €2 will be used to give homeless people free shelter and food and ultimately a path to recovery.

First define what "homelessness" is before asking if anyone wishes to give money.

irishgrover · 16-11-2017 12:47PM

djPSB wrote:

And say, again hypothetically, the money was guaranteed to solve homelessness in Ireland, would you be happy to pay â‚¬2 per week?

Based on your actual question, with the emphasis on "guaranteed to solve homelessness in Ireland".... Then yes absolutely I would..... I'd happily pay considerably more than that.
However in reality, no such guarantee could ever be given, and no such programme would ever work

pawrick · 16-11-2017 12:49PM

Seems to be way to many different charities / agencies all fighting for a share to resolve the same issues. As an outsider looking in I cant help but think a lot of money is wasted just by having so many different groups involved and talking shops going over the same issues year in year out.

PCeeeee · 16-11-2017 12:53PM

Assuming everyone signed up this would bring in approx 10 million a year. Are we saying this would sort the 'homeless crisis'?

NinjaTruncs · 16-11-2017 01:00PM

PCeeeee wrote: »

Assuming everyone signed up this would bring in approx 10 million a year. Are we saying this would sort the 'homeless crisis'?

you mean 10 million a week... which would give 500 million a year, which if there were no admin costs and you could buy apartments at 250K each you could home 2000 individuals/families.

However, there would be admin costs which would be huge and reduce the number that can be helped, essentially it would end up being like most other charities where most of the money generated would be spent on administration.

Never mind there would be a never-ending supply of homeless people looking for a free house.

corner of hells · 16-11-2017 01:05PM

pawrick wrote: »

Seems to be way to many different charities / agencies all fighting for a share to resolve the same issues. As an outsider looking in I cant help but think a lot of money is wasted just by having so many different groups involved and talking shops going over the same issues year in year out.

Good point , for years lots of different agencies and charities were providing identical services competing for resources through state funding or charitable donations.
However now attempts are being made to avoid duplicity by diversifying the types and levels of support.
Different types of accommodations exist along with various types of support individuals.
Its worth paying attention to the multitudes of soup run , Facebook type groups that have sprung up in recent years all providing identical supports without actually gaining anything long-term.

corner of hells · 16-11-2017 01:06PM

NinjaTruncs wrote: »

PCeeeee wrote: »

Assuming everyone signed up this would bring in approx 10 million a year. Are we saying this would sort the 'homeless crisis'?

you mean 10 million a week... which would give 500 million a year, which if there were no admin costs and you could buy apartments at 250K each you could home 2000 individuals/families.

However, there would be admin costs which would be huge and reduce the number that can be helped, essentially it would end up being like most other charities where most of the money generated would be spent on administration.

Never mind there would be a never-ending supply of homeless people looking for a free house.

Where are these free houses ?

munchkin_utd · 16-11-2017 01:12PM

corner of hells wrote: »

Where are these free houses ?

you are born with an entitlement to one apparently.

There's a list with the council where people register to exercise this god given (birth)right to a free house but too many people were being born in the 80s and 90s so the government is struggling to keep up with its commitment to provide said free houses now that the people entitled to houses are now no longer living with their parents .

Now that the government has sorted peoples god given right to unlimited free water, maybe they'll figure how to clear the list of those waiting for the free houses.

Harry Palmr · 16-11-2017 01:15PM

I'd ****ing well make Bono and the boys pay for this building programme.

Gatling · 16-11-2017 01:16PM

Agricola wrote: »

And we'll never create one if people with a roof over their head don't even attempt to help those who don't.

May be rephrase that to help those who are helping themselves ,

Rather than helping because someone feels more entitled than anything else

lawred2 · 16-11-2017 01:16PM

Nope

Tsipras · 16-11-2017 01:22PM

grahambo wrote: »

In terms of mental illness, yes that is a factor too, but it is heavily exasperated by alcohol and substance abuse.

That's a load of bollocks, mental health problems lead people to drugs not the other way around, and it is a major cause of homelessness. In the US over 10% of homeless people are military vets, nearly all with PTSD .
Having mental Illness isn't someone's fault.

keano_afc · 16-11-2017 01:23PM

If the money was spent looking at why these people are homeless then maybe. Can just throw money into houses for people on the streets without examining why they are there in the first place.

lawred2 · 16-11-2017 01:26PM

Tsipras wrote: »

That's a load of bollocks, mental health problems lead people to drugs not the other way around, and it is a major cause of homelessness. In the US over 10% of homeless people are military vets, nearly all with PTSD .
Having mental Illness isn't someone's fault.

poster said 'exasperated'

nothing whatsoever about leading

Geuze · 16-11-2017 01:28PM

We spend 120m on homelessness in Dublin.

http://www.homelessdublin.ie/funding-homeless-services

Last year, 2016, we spent 96m.

This is public spending, and it excludes voluntary charity spending.

lawred2 · 16-11-2017 01:29PM

grahambo wrote: »

This is the saddest thing of all.
All the babies are born the same, I remember seeing them all in the Hospital when my son was born.
At that point in their life they are all equal.
It's only the people that take them out of the hospital that determine what kind of life they are going to have.

I was on my way home from work about 4 months ago, crossing the road from Ely Place onto Merrion Street upper. There was a woman crossing the road pushing a pram while carrying the most beautiful little baby you'd ever, probably only 4 or 5 months old. New Pram, New white baby warmer.

The baby looked at me, and I looked back and smiled. The baby coo'd and giggled at which point the woman noticed, she then turned around to me and said Spare change for the homeless?

I was shocked.
I took a look at the woman, missing teeth, very unhealthy looking, glassy eyed, cuts and scabs on her skin and walking funny. This woman was clearly a Heroin addict.
I was caught completely off guard so I gave her like €5, was all I had in my wallet.
On the train I couldn't stop thinking about it, I even got a bit teary eyed
That little baby hasn't a chance.

I still think about that little baby now, and what's going to happen her.
Ultimately it probably won't be a good life.

But again there is no helping that mother, she is clearly using the baby as a mechanism to mooch off others and feed her addiction.
Child should be taken off her.

Very Sad.

I see this all too often

A roof over that woman's head will not help that child

however relieving that child of her 'mother' might

Geuze · 16-11-2017 01:29PM

In 2016 we spent 73m on emergency accomm in Dublin.

47m was paid to hotels.

I suggest we spend some of that on building houses instead.

http://www.homelessdublin.ie/files/fundinginfographic2016

lawred2 · 16-11-2017 01:30PM

Geuze wrote: »

In 2016 we spent 73m on emergency accomm in Dublin.

I suggest we spend that on building houses instead.

http://www.homelessdublin.ie/files/fundinginfographic2016

certain 'hoteliers' wouldn't get fat on a building program now will they?

jimmycrackcorm · 16-11-2017 01:39PM

Geuze wrote:

I suggest we spend some of that on building houses instead.

So you'd throw homeless people out on the street from the hotels while building houses?

What happens to those of them who don't get the houses as that money won't pay for enough housing.?

When more people decide to become homeless, would you day we should refuse to even provide hotel rooms for them?

weldoninhio · 16-11-2017 01:48PM

No chance.

Beta Ray Bill · 16-11-2017 01:50PM

Tsipras wrote: »

That's a load of bollocks, mental health problems lead people to drugs not the other way around, and it is a major cause of homelessness. In the US over 10% of homeless people are military vets, nearly all with PTSD .
Having mental Illness isn't someone's fault.

7.3% of American are serving or have served in the Military so the 10% marker isn't really that high given so many people have served.

Yes I agree with you, I said "exasperated".
When a person with Mental health issues ends up with a a drink/drug problem it is very severe. (far more so than it would be for a person without mental health issues)

Sue Pa Key Pa · 16-11-2017 01:52PM

Lads would cost more to administer the collection of the money than it would take in

the_syco · 16-11-2017 02:03PM

Will it be like PRSI, whereby just those who work pay for it, or like Irish Water whereby everyone pays for it, but those who don't usually pay for anything come out and strike against it as they actually have to pay?

djPSB · 16-11-2017 03:14PM

Some interesting points raised.

The poll tells that 60% of respondents would not be willing to pay €2 per week. A small sample size obviously.

An indication of the public view on homelessness all the same.

topper75 · 16-11-2017 03:18PM

mariaalice wrote: »

Yes if it was a simply as proving a house/property, bu its not.

Sssshhh! you can't say that.
You'll end up a pariah like that Gleeson one did.

Permabear · 16-11-2017 03:35PM

This post has been deleted.

Mrs OBumble · 16-11-2017 03:36PM

grahambo wrote: »

All the babies are born the same, I remember seeing them all in the Hospital when my son was born.
At that point in their life they are all equal.
It's only the people that take them out of the hospital that determine what kind of life they are going to have.

Actually, not they aren't.

Pre-birth maternal nutrition, exposure to alcohol and other drugs, limited blood-oxygen due to maternal smoking, and plain genetics (for some mental illnesses, at least the risk of the disease is inherited) all mean that by the time they reach birth, some babies are all ready wayyy behind others in terms of advantages.

There are two very different types of homeless people in Ireland.

The traditional group have mental health issues. Some actually have diagnosable mental illnesses, while others are psychological difficulties or extreme low intelligence. Whatever the cause, these folks cannot function in regular society without huge amounts of support - and some not at all. No amount of money will remove this group totally, all your €2 will do for them is provide more services to keep them out of the public eye.

The second group, currently larger, is people who cannot find homes due to the country not having build enough of them in places where they are needed, at prices which are affordable. This we could fix, not overnight or next week or even next month. I would happily ring-fence €2 of my taxes for additional housing - though I'd be happier if this wasn't social housing, because of the inter-generational dependency that causes.

knowledge88888 · 16-11-2017 03:39PM

No

knowledge88888 · 16-11-2017 03:40PM

I dont share. Others problems are there own. Im selfish. But when im down nobody helps me. I take i dont give

Colonel Claptrap · 16-11-2017 03:54PM

Show me a country - anywhere in the world, or any time in history - which has "solved homlessness".

I already contribute a lot more than €2 per week providing social safety nets, keeping people fed, sheltered and off the street.

Would you contribute €2 per week to solve homelessness?

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